Breather cap eor crank casings



Sept 9, 1930. c. w. HOLLINGSWORTH 1,775,557

I BREATHER CAF FOR CRANK CSINGS Filed April 5, 1930 @M m 5w f I 0o 3 'l1, x. Z.. wm L@ 3 5 Mr `a leakage.

i UNITED VSTATI-:S PATENToI-Flcl-:n

CARL W. HOLLINGSWORTH, or MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA RRATRR CAP UroR CRANKcAsINes `Application'ieiipfir 5, 1930. Vserial No. 441,984.

` Thisinvention relates to internal-combustion engines, and moreparticularlyv tothe breather cap that closes the inlet pipe through`Which oil is poured, tolill the crank casing.`

The primary object of the invention is to provide a breather cap havinganinterna'l baffle so constructed that oil will be trapped and returnedtothe crank casing, eliminating any possibility-of the air passing intoand out of the crank casing, blowing the oil to cause Another object ofthe invention is yto provide a breather cap of this character which maybe constructed at comparatively small cost, due L consideration beinggiven'to the strengthand durability of y the device.

A further object of the invention istol provide a breather cap'which'maybe readily and easily inserted inthe open end of va crank casing fillingpipe, eliminating the necessity of making changes in the construction toinrstall the device. Y

Withthe foregoing and votherobjects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention residesin the combination andarrangementsofparts andin the details of construction vhereinafter de- Yscribed andclaimed, itbeing'understood that changes in the preciseembodiment ofthe invention herein disclosed, may be .made withinthescope of what is claimed without departinv from the spirit of theinvention.

eferring to the drawing: 4 Y F'gure 1 illustrates a vertical sectionalview through a breather cap constructed in accordance with theinvention. p

Figure 2 isl transverse' sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1. iv

Referring to the drawing in detail, the

breather cap includes a body Vportion comprising a straight rim 5 and atapered lower portion indicated by the reference'character 51, the samebeing substantially funnel shaped. Y The lower end of the body portionis formed with a depending straight wall 6 so that the device may bereadily positioned in a filling opening or pipe, to take the place ofthe usual cover now employed. A slot 7 is formedin thelowerportionofwhere they Aare bent overv the guarding ,the 4Open @11d Of' thedevicevand lends resiliency to the device so that the device will besecurelyrheld'in position by frictional contact with the pipe or openingin which the extension 6 is positioned. i

Extending upwardly from the rim 5 :of the body portion, are arms 8 thatarearranged in spaced relation with respect to each other,

the arms being provided with tapered or( reduced extremities 9, see atthe rightlofFig- Vurell, that pass through slot 91'in the cap 10, y capto secure the cap to the body portion. Duetothe con- Vstruction ofthearms 8, it :will be seen that the cap is supported in spaced relationwith the upperedge of the body portion` to allow a free passage of airinto and out of the body portion, under the cap. v i The lower edge ofthe cap` extends downwardly and terminates ata pointvbelow the upperedge of the rim 5 of the body portion, t the body` portion againsttheentrance of foreign matter from entering the `crank casing through thebody 7 portion. Y

Positioned within the cap, "and secured thereto by means of the bolt 11,is a central inverted cap-shaped member 12,V formed with downwardly andoutwardly extended spaced ngers or baffles 13, which are of suficientlength to approach and preferably engage the shoulder 14 formed on thebodyportion 5,1:0 direct the oil collected on the fingers to theinclined wall of the body portion. These fingers 13 are spaced apart insuch a way that suiiicient spaces are formed between them to permit thepassageof air to 'and from' the crankcasing, and are attenuated orvpointed at the ends. Y

From the foregoing, it will be seen that due to the construction shownand described, oil which will be thrown or splashedwithin the crankcasing, and which would automatically be forced from the crank casing bythe motor breathing, vwill be splashed against the inverted cup-shapedmember l2 and collected by the fingers 13, from where it will bereturned to the crank casing, by flowing down the inclinedwall of thebodyportion. t

I will now explain a little more fully the operation of my breather cap.The crank cases of automobiles are provided with outlets or breathertubes. The reason for this is that some compressed gases escape past thepistons into the crank case and a pressure tends to be built up in thecrank case unless some suitable outlet is provided.

In instances Where the breather tube has been closed up, it has beenf-ound that the pressure forces the gases out at the rear of the crankcase assembly and that oil is likewise forced out so that there is avery rapid loss of oil in the crank case.

Even where the breather tube` is provided, it becomes important toprovide a breather cap which will prevent the passage of fine oil mistout of the crank case with the air passing through the breather tube.

Where a cap like mine is provided, nearly all of the fine particles ofoil carried upwardly with the moving current of air are saved. The airand oil impinge upon the under face of the bafile device and upon theinner surfaces of the fingers 13. Generally speaking, the oil isdeposited in such line particles that it will adhere to the metal, butwill not flow downwardly until additional oil is deposited. The oiltends to adhere to and iiow down the wall of the inverted cup-shapedmember 12 and directed to the fingers 13 and to the interior wall of thebody 5 of the breather cap, rather than to drop straight down thepassage through the outgoing air current forced through the breather.

For accomplishing this saving of the oil, the provision ofthe outwardlyinclined baffle fingers is of importance as affording a means alongwhich the oil may conveniently` travel. These fingers are madepreferably to contact with the inner face of the bodyl portion 5 becausethe oil then travels more freely from the fingers to the wall of thebody portion 5. The attenuated shape of the lower ends of the fingersalso contributes to this desirable result.

Another feature of the present structure which is of importance for`saving oil is the arrangement of the breather cap` with the enlargedportion of the body 5 at its upper end of the restricted str aight wallportion 6. Because of the provision of this enlarged portion, there isprovided a dead air space in which the oil cancollect on the metaloutside of the path of the pressure and from which it will not be blownback by the pressure passing through the breather cap. If the breatherbody were of the same diameter for its entire length from top to` bottomthe passing current of air would prevent the down-flow of oil on theinner surface of the body and blow out a considerable portion of it toatmosphere. In the dead air space, the oil accumulates into large enoughfilm-like quantities to flow down the portion 6 without again beingblown outer carriedoutby the outwardly moving air current. The oiladheres to the wall of the portion 51 and travels around the shoulder atthe lower end thereof and forms a film around the inner wall of thereduced neck of the body of the cap. Thus I have provided a breathercap, of such construction as to allow free outflow of air, so that nopressure is built up in the crank case. Other caps are provided withbaffles to catch the oil, but which obstruct the free passage of air.But I have provided a structure with a storage or dead air space outsideof the main path of air travel through the cap, in which oil canaccumulate.

What I claim is:

1. A breather cap comprising a body portion open at its ends, a capsection supported above the body portion and an inverted cupshapedbaffle device secured to the cap section and having a plurality ofspaced fingers extending downwardly and outwardly within the cap sectionand having their ends arn ranged in close proximity to the inner surfaceof the body portion for causing oil to flow back to the crank casing.

2. A breather cap comprising a body portion open at its ends, a capsection supported above the Ibody portion, and an inverted cupshapedbaffle device, secured to the under side of the cap section, having aplurality of spaced ngers extending downwardly and outwardly within thecap section and having their ends pointed Vand arranged in closeproximity to the inner surface of the body portion for causing oil` toflow back to the crank casing. f

3. A breather cap comprising a body portion open at its ends, a capsection supported above the body portion, and a baffle device having acentral member fixed to the innen surface of said cap section and alsohaving a plurality of spaced fingers formed on and radiating from saidcentral member, said fingers extending.v downwardly and outwardly withinthe cap section and having their ends contacting the inner surface ofthe body portion for causing oil to flow back toward the crank casing.

t. A breather cap comprising a body portion open at its ends, a capsection supported above the body portion and a baffle device having acentral member fixed to the inner surface of said cap section and alsohaving a plurality of spaced fingers formed on and radiating fromsaidcentral member, said fingers extending downwardly and outwardly withinthe cap section and having their ends pointed and contacting the innersurface of the body portion for causing oil to flow back to the crankcasing.

5. In a breather cap a lower cylindrical portion adapted to be supportedby a breather tube, a portion thereabove of greater diameter than saidfirst portion, a cap spaced substantially above said, second portionhaving a ter toward its upper end and afording an' inclined wall, a capspaced above said second portion having a down-turned peripheral flangeof greater diameter than and overlapping the upper end of said secondportion, an inverted cup-shaped bai'le member fixed in the upperinterior of said cap and comprising a down-turned flange provided withdownwardly and outwardly inclined fingers, having their ends terminatingin close proximity to the inclined wall of the second y mentioned bodyportion. v

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto'aixedmy signature.

CARL W. HOLLINGSWORTH.

